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Oxford Dictionaries chose ‘post-truth’ as its Word of the Year for 2016. Western media seems to be full of examples of how we live in a post-truth world, as well as frequent discussions about it. What is the state of the media in a post-truth society? Why does fake news circulate so fast in social media? How should we respond as Christians?

As part of the “Media Messages Matter” multiplex session during the Cape Town Congress in 2010, Tony Watkins and Margunn Serigstad Dahle explored news and entertainment media as missiological challenges.

News media play a significant role in the everyday lives for most of us. Therefore we need to actively engage the news by asking key questions. In 12 Questions to Ask When Watching the News, I suggest the following question as the final one:

How do a classical Christian view of humanity and the world help us to understand the wider context of the major news stories?

Journalism is a key profession in today’s media world. We need journalists who represent various worldviews and faith commitments – with a united commitment to truth, fairness, independence and human dignity. I am convinced that the Christian worldview provides the most credible intellectual foundation for these key values in journalism.

News media play a significant role in the everyday lives for most of us, and we need to actively engage with it. If we don’t, we fail to appreciate the demanding and significant work of the journalists. Nor do we become critically aware of the explicit angles and the underlying perspectives in the news. The following set of critical questions will help us reflect carefully when watching, reading or listening to the news, whether global, regional, national or local. If you apply such questions as these consistently, engaging the news become increasingly meaningful!